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The Burgundians

A Vanished Empire: A History of 1111 Years and One Day

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The Burgundians

By: Bart van Loo, Nancy Forest-Flier - translator
Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
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At the end of the fifteenth century, Burgundy was extinguished as an independent state. It had been a fabulously wealthy, turbulent region situated between France and Germany, with close links to the English kingdom. Torn apart by the dynastic struggles of early modern Europe, this extraordinary realm vanished from the map. But it became the cradle of what we now know as the Low Countries, modern Belgium and the Netherlands.

This is the story of a thousand years, a must-listen narrative history of ambitious aristocrats, family dysfunction, treachery, savage battles, luxury, and madness. It is about the decline of knightly ideals and the awakening of individualism and of cities, the struggle for dominance in the heart of northern Europe, bloody military campaigns, and fatally bad marriages. It is also a remarkable cultural history, of great art and architecture and music emerging despite the violence and the chaos of the tension between rival dynasties.

©2019 Bart Van Loo (P)2023 Tantor Europe France Medieval Military Middle Ages Western Europe Imperialism Royalty
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When the English think of Burgundy they think of wine and food and not the impact the area has had on European history. This book brings that to history to life. I learnt a great deal and I am now looking to visit Bruges, Ghent, Michelin and Dijon to see where the Dukes and their peoples lived.

Excellent history

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The author really managed to create a lively depiction of the historic characters involved, including the ‘word on the street’. It gave an insight I didn’t expect and provoked a need to visit the area described with all these places that were the background of these politics, business and personal drama.

The narrator did surely his best with the dutch pronunciation but there is room for improvement. For a native dutch it is a lot of stumbling to disregard. But a very good narration otherwise!

Most enjoyable history

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Reads like an exciting novel. Excellent stuff. He really brings the era to life

superb Read

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This is not a part of history that I have particularly seen much about, so this book gave a very good informative and interesting account of the history of Burgundy.

Very informative and Interesting

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a good narrative history, somewhat compromised by the arthurs frequent divergence into way too much info about art, and a somewhat Christian bias.

decent history

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